Coca-Cola Spiced: How Coke rolled out its first new flavour in three years

Campaign: Coca-Cola Spiced
Companies: Coca-Cola 
Agency partners: Zeno Group (earned media); WPP OpenX(creative); Cartwright (creative); Ogilvy & Mather (global public relations); Momentum Worldwide (experiential event agency); Essence Mediacom (paid media and partnerships); United Talent Agency (talent sourcing and contracting)
Duration: February 6—April 30 2024

Sometimes you need to spice things up a bit. 

That is what Coca-Cola decided to do by, for the first time in more than three years, adding a new Coke flavor to its North American portfolio: Coca-Cola Spiced or Coke Spiced.

“We know that consumers are more willing to experiment with and express themselves through unique flavors that spark curiosity and intrigue—and Coca-Cola Spiced addresses exactly that,” Aly Hite, director of brand, sports and strategic partnerships for Coca-Cola Company North America, said via email to PRWeek, Campaign's sister site.

Strategy

To promote the new product, the beverage company staged a pair of events: Real Magic Uncapped for press and The Spiced Shop for media and consumers. The brand also worked with actress Storm Reid.

Tactics

Real Magic Uncapped featured a panel discussion with Coca-Cola executives; samples of Coke Spiced and other new products like a zero-sugar variation of the drink and Coke Zero Sugar; and spaces with TVs, photo opportunities and interactive activities.

“The Real Magic Uncapped press event in New York was created to streamline storytelling and present a cohesive narrative on Coca-Cola’s Q1 innovation pipeline and our 2024 growth story,” Hite said. “We wanted to create an all-encompassing event where media could receive important information about some of our product and marketing innovations, including the strategy and insights from the perspective of our leadership.”

Reid, who won an Emmy Award for her role in The Last of Us, also attended the event.

“Storm Reid is not only an Emmy-winning actress but also an immensely talented producer, entrepreneur and multi-hyphenate whose uplifting vibe was the perfect fit for Coca-Cola Spiced,” Hite said.

On Instagram and TikTok, Reid shared videos about her experience at the shop.

@stormreid My take on the new Coca-Cola Spiced flavor? This massive art installation! In partnership with @Coca-Cola I used an Al-powered taste experience to create a visual world of my expression of the new flavor, and it became the facade of the Coca-Cola #SpicedShop in NYC! ❣️   Coca-Cola Spiced is in stores now. Taste it for yourself and express your take on the flavor on spicedshop.com! #spicedshop ♬ original sound - Storm Reid

At the space, Reid engaged with technology to create “an expression of the Coca-Cola Spiced flavor” using “a lot of imagination and a little AI,” she said. “Now it’s your turn. How will it taste to you? Grab a Coca-Cola Spiced at a retailer near you and find out.”

Elsewhere on social media, the brand continued to promote the idea that the beverage was not just something you drank but rather a product that produced a full-body experience.

In an Instagram reel, a woman with purple hair sits on a park bench and takes a sip from a can. The video then zooms in on an eye with the pupil swirling like a mystical orb. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Coca-Cola (@cocacola)

Results 

The campaign received coverage from People; Food Network; USA Today; the Associated Press; and CNN.

The brand’s Coke Spiced posts generated more than 500,000 likes on Instagram. A pair of the brand’s TikTok videos generated more than 59,000 likes.

Reid’s videos received more than 2.9 million views on Instagram and more than 1 million views on TikTok.